Hello everyone,

I don’t need to say that I haven’t written in a long time because you all know that already and are probably prepared to throw some rocks at me for it. I’m sorry. I have no reason for pardon except for the ”I’m in the army” excuse.  Hmm…actually that sounds like a pretty good one, right? =)

I have officially been in the army 3 months and have not written a single update about it. Okay, thats just disturbing. Regrettfully, I don’t have much time to write just now either, but I wanted to atleast let you all know that I am infact alive. In the last 3 months I have: completed basic training, learned  a gross amount of hebrew, learned a little russian, felt like I was in Russia, felt like I was in prison, lost weight, gained weight, and really, really, really, REALLY missed home. Oh, and I also changed into a different human being.

Is your head spinning yet? Thats just the tip of the iceberg my friends! I so long to write about the minor details i’ve my service, and at some point I WILL! Just not yet. The next 2 months I will be doing a course for my new job, Mishakit Chinuch, which is essentially a coordinator for soldier’s education and zionism classes, and organizing events and parties for holidays etc. Honestly I don’t know all of what the job entails, I just kind of got led there …no doubt by God ( It’s too crazy of a story to be anybody else).

Time has run out. Pray for me, I need a generous dose of the following: Patience, grace, love, kindness, joy, peace, understanding, gentleness, and any other sweet fruit you want to throw my way.

I love you all, I will update again…eventually. =)

- Princess Yasmine

Everything that I own is now in my new kibbutz room. It’s amazing, I love it.

I haven’t finished putting everything away, but i’m just about done. I spent the day cleaning and organizing things just the way I like it. I killed about 10 spiders in the process, which made me feel like a bit of a murderer, but they had to go. The place is sparkling now. Every crevice that I could reach has been cleaned! Isn’t it ironic though, that when you spend all day cleaning, you only get dirtier and dirtier in the process?
Anyway i’m really happy and starting to get settled. This feels like home. It’s comfortable.

In other news, I just wanted to say that i’ve heard from all my friends that were called in during the war. They’re all doing great, which makes me ecstatic. Most of them were only near gaza, but didn’t go in. I am excited to hear all the stories as each of them come home to the kibbutz.

This weekend is my 20th birthday, so I’ll be traveling back to Jerusalem for a couple of days to celebrate that as well as my Gius party with my other two girlfriends who are drafting into their respective services. This is truly an amazing time in my life and it’s hard to believe that it’s happening so fast…

Will write more later.

xoxo
Princess Yasmine

Tonight is my very last night in Jerusalem, well at least for this season. I went to my last young adults meeting and saw most of the people I love around here in one big group! I was fighting tears throughout the night, thinking about how close I had become with these fellow believers, especially my awesome girlfriends. I know for a fact that God specifically placed these people in my life because they are the ones who come around once in a lifetime, and they have been such an aid to the entire Aliyah process. I am SO very grateful God gave them to me, and now so sad to be leaving them. And as excited as I am for the new place, It feels like it’s tearing my heart. I know this next two weeks before the army will be preparation time for me spiritually. I will have some alone time on my hands and so with that I really want to spend some quality time with the Lord. I think that will really help with the first part of the army, and not having family to come home to so I could kvetch about everything that will happen to me. Hah!

It’s funny, I still have thoughts like “Am I seriously doing this? How in the world did I get myself into this situation of going into the ARMY?! or even ISRAEL?!”

The Lord is always there to remind me that He is gently guiding me along the path that He has for me, and that feels great. Life is such an adventure! It’s one amazing chapter after the next, and I wonder what will He have for me even after this? 

Going to try and get some rest now for the big move tomorrow. His grace and love is unfathomable to me. 

-Princess Yasmine

I know that my posts have been on the serious side, and I’m certain it has to do with the sobering atmosphere that the entire country has been feeling. Yesterday I visited my favorite local music shop to see my shopkeeper friend and have him help me fill out some papers from the army that I could not completely understand. He was telling me that for weeks now people have been saying that they have felt the grief all the way from Gaza. I could totally relate because of what I have been feeling, but then it occurred to me that I need to be careful in taking on the atmosphere around me to the point of discouragement, depression, anxiety etc. It’s so true that we have to hide ourselves in the shadow of His wings, where there is peace, safety, and true comfort. We can have joy in the midst of suffering because we know Who is He that sits on the throne. In this I know we will find true wisdom and knowledge on how to act according to His will in these times of crisis. Perfect love casts out fear, and so if we are filled with His love, we need not fear what is to come. 

On a lighter note, I visited my new home this past weekend, along with my IDF men! It was indescribably wonderful to see my boyfriend after not being able to speak with him for so many days. He and our other friend from the States are both doing well. They were both very tired from all the vigorous training. One is already finished so that if they need him to go into Gaza, they can now call him up at anytime! He is mentally and spiritually prepared for this, it is obvious. As for my new home, the Lord truly blessed me beyond words. I have a great little place that feels so homey, but I won’t be completely moved in until a week or two from now. Darn!

My draft date is approaching faster and faster. I have a feeling it will be here before I know it…

-Princess Yasmine

It feels like a dream being in the midst of all this. It’s like those dreams in which you try with all of your might to run from danger but your legs feel as though they are trudging through the thickest mud. Or perhaps you are trying to scream for help, however nothing but a faint whisper comes out. 

Why is the entire world so blind? For years Israel has gone out of it’s way to help its enemies. A friend of mine who was a commander in the IDF was telling me about a Palestinian man who had crossed the border in order to shoot at “the men in green uniforms.” He was motivated by hate and rage and did not have any strategic plan of eliminating the Israelis except by shooting at whomever he saw. When one of the soldiers shot him in the foot to get him down, he fell and began to sob. The israeli medics rushed over and began to bandage and medicate his wound. They then sent him back the way he came. 

Have they EVER done that for us? They would kill us the moment we stepped foot on their ground. Torture us.

Radical Islam is so scary and the world seems to just think it’s another “religion in which we must respect its beliefs.” Lets remember, it is not the same God they are serving, Islam worships the MOON god. See all those crescent moons on each of their flags and atop their mosques? Yeah, those aren’t just cute little decorations. 

If you have a couple of moments, watch this video. One of the best videos I’ve ever seen. It is about a secular arab woman sharing her beliefs on the conflict in the middle east. I fear for her life after hearing what she said. It’s amazing though, how she speaks with such truth and such power in her word. 

Don’t even get me started on the school bombing incident. For what would Israel possibly want to kill a bunch of little kids? Lets remember who started this war! Hamas is using its civilians as a human shield! They shoot rockets from the schools and from the houses because they KNOW Israel will shoot back in that direction and they KNOW the media will be on their side for this! I am truly grieved for those innocent people in Gaza who are the ones standing up to IDF soldiers in place of Hamas’s cowards.

If you want a professional view on this, read this article sent to me by my Uncle. I am so grateful he sees the truth.

The man you all saw who laid in grief in front of his 3 dead children from an israeli tank shell, here is what he said about Hamas, his own rulers:

As he ran, Israeli troops fired over their heads and then ordered them to lift up their shirts to show they carried no weapons under their clothes. “We just made it out and here to the hospital,” Nael said. Then, in a moment of anger, he pointed the blame. “Hamas is responsible for this. They are starving us, now they are killing us,” he said. “They asked the Israelis to enter but where is the resistance? They are hiding. All the leaders of Hamas are underground. It’s just the civilians confronting the Israeli army. I don’t like Hamas and I don’t want them ruling Gaza.”

I have put a good amount of my personal views in this specific blog post with the help of good old internet media. I hope it didn’t come across too harsh, but I feel SO passionately about this subject! We need to love our enemies despite all that they have done to us, period. Love is the only thing that will turn away wrath at this point. But I also believe in Israel taking action to protect its citizens. You would do anything to protect your family too, right?

Pray with fervency…there is more trouble on the horizon, possibly in the north. These are exciting and perilous times we are living in. We must seek truth and we must be guided by the Holy Spirit. I have every intention of using that as my weapon in the army! =)

-Princess Yasmine

I lift up my eyes to the hills- Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip -
He who watches over you will not slumber;
Indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
-Psalm 121

Honestly, if it weren’t for pressure from several different parties, I would have never asked my fingers to do this job. However, since I am drafting into the military in precisely 34 days, I think SOME documentation of this period of the next two, possibly three years of my life might be nice.  If it’s not helpful for me, I can at least have satisfaction knowing that I’ve kept you all informed on this whole experience.

Pardon me, I haven’t properly introduced myself. I’m Princess Yasmine, (informally addressed as “Your Majesty”). But seriously, if I’m going to be sleeping in the desert for weeks at a time without showering, I think I’m entitled to some form of acknowledgement to my femininity, any at all, even a slight fabrication (as a reminder for myself, if not for any of you). 

For future reference, we are now entering into the 9th day of war with Gaza. I’m going to write a blog solely about this topic, but it seems for now I have written enough.

I hope for my own sake that I can be consistent about this.

Blessings to you all and God be with us,

                                                     Princess Yasmine